"Lady Everett."
"………………………………..Y-Yesh…"
When Louis's wife, Rosalie, called out to her, it took Monica about twenty seconds to respond.
Not accustomed to being called "Lady Everett," had made her response delayed, and by the time she realized her response was late, she couldn't figure out the right timing when she should reply, but since Rosalie was still silently waiting for her, she thought she had to reply, so she gathered up all her courage, but only resulted into that response. It's so embarrassing that she just wants to die.
However, Rosalie did not make fun of Monica's attitude and said calmly.
"Excuse me, but may I ask how old you are?"
"Er, um… I-I'm seventeen years old. You are… older than me… so… you don't have… attach "Lady" to call me…"
In the meantime, Rosalie stared at mumbling Monica.
The way of how she watched Monica was like inspecting something rather than looking down at a shabby girl. After that, she brushed up Monica's bangs, which had been left untended.
"I'll gladly take your word… Well then, excuse me, Miss Everett."
Rosalie then abruptly pulled Monica's lower eyelids downward.
Monica blinked in surprise, but a quiet voice of "don't move," urged her to be still.
Furthermore, Rosalie instructed her to open her mouth to check her oral cavity, and inspected her entire body, down to her hands and nails.
"No abnormalities in eye movement, no gingival bleeding. However, your underside lower eyelids are white, and your nails are also white. There are other symptoms that include dry skin, low body weight inappropriate for age… You're showing symptoms of malnutrition and anemia. How many hours did you sleep per day?"
At Rosalie's inquiry, Monica turned over and fidgeted, kneading her fingers.
After living in a cabin and doing a lot of calculations, Monica never had a definite bedtime.
Since the Seven Sages had a good income and didn't need to conserve candle and lamp oil, they often spent most of their time facing the numbers until their bodies reached their limits and lost consciousness.
"Um… my sleeping time… is always random…"
"How many times do you eat in a day? How much food do you eat in general?"
"I eat some nuts when I'm hungry… I sometimes eat some biscuits…"
In any case, she wouldn't go to bed or eat until her body told her she was at her limit.
She always ate only the minimum amount of food that could satisfy her hunger, because she felt sleepy when she was full.
When Rosalie found out about Monica's current situation, she proceeded to ask her if she had had any serious illnesses in the past or had any food allergies.
After several repetitions of Monica's slurred answers and Rosalie's repeated questions, Rosalie ended her questioning and called for Lynn.
A high-ranking spirit in a maid's uniform quickly appeared at Rosalie's call. It was much more swift than when she was in front of her master, Louis.
"Did you call me, Lady Rosalie?"
"We have a pot of soup in the oven. Can you please reheat it for me? Also, I need you to soak a piece of bread in some warm milk over low heat."
"Yes, ma'am."
As Lynn bowed and walked away, Rosalie turned to Monica and rolled up her sleeves.
Rosalie drove Monica's shoulders and led her to the bathroom, while Monica was freaking out about what she was going to do.
"In order to turn you into a human being, all you need to do now is to eat and sleep enough. But first, you need to take a bath. Keeping your body clean is fundamental for maintaining a healthy body."
Rosalie then ruthlessly stripped Monica, threw her in the bathroom, and scrubbed her all over.
She also trimmed her hair, which she had been letting grow long, saying, "If you let your hair get into your eyes, it can cause eye disease." There is no hesitation or reservation in her movement.
When Monica had changed into Rosalie's old clothes, Louis, who had been absent for a long time, showed up.
"Now, don't you look a lot more human?"
That's quite a statement.
As Monica's mouth agape, Rosalie, who was combing Monica's hair, glared at Louis.
Despite being a woman, her eyes are sharp and filled with unusual intensity.
"I can't believe you have the gall to bring a patient like this before me, Louis Miller. There's no way I'm letting such a little girl in a need leave like that."
When Rosalie mentioned the word "patient," Monica insisted in a muffled voice, "I'm healthy…"
However, Rosalie asserted sharply.
"Anyone who looks at you now will regard you as an unhealthy person."
Husband has their way of talking, it was also for a wife. They were not very much alike, but they do have a similar way of speaking.
When Monica opened and closed her mouth, Louis glanced at her and said.
"Rosalie is a doctor. So you'd better listen to what she says, my colleague."
Indeed, the way she looked at Monica was like that of a doctor examining a patient's condition.
Rosalie was a quiet woman, but she had the stubbornness of a doctor who would not let a patient say no to her. And now, Monica has been identified as a patient by her.
"The best way to treat her is to improve her diet and sleep schedule."
Just at that moment, Lynn brought in the food for the three of them and laid it on the table.
It was a simple meal of bread, salad, roasted duck, and soup, but for Monica's portion, her bread was stewed in milk and the meat was chopped into small pieces.
"Don't force yourself to eat everything. It's okay to eat small amounts at a time, just make sure to eat everything in a balanced way."
"Y-Yes…"
Both the soup and the bread stewed in milk had a light flavor but were delicious. It had been a long time since she had eaten a warm meal.
Monica tended to forget about eating when she was absorbed in her calculations, and the same could be said for eating. When she is absorbed in eating, she tended to forget about other things. Anyway, she would concentrate on eating until the plate in front of her was empty.
That's why I always keep it simple.
When she had emptied her plate in a frenzy, Rosalie said, "Well done," and placed a small plate of dessert in front of Monica. And it was a cherry pie.
But there are none for Louis.
"Rosalee, where's mine?"
Glancing at Monica, who was engrossed in her cherry pie, Louis voiced his discontent
Rosalie chided as she placed a cup of after-dinner tea in front of Louis.
"You've been taking in too much sugar. I bet you put a lot of jam and sugar in your tea when you were out. At least, you need to cut down on your sugar at home."
With that, Rosalie moved the sugar pot away from Louis.
Louis shook his head sadly and pulled out a small bottle from his pocket. The bottle was labeled as alcohol.
When Louis about to pour the high alcohol into his cup of tea, Rosalie quickly took the bottle from him.
"And no more alcohol for you."
"Jeez, you took my sugar and now my alcohol too, then what will I have left to enjoy in life?"
"I'm your wife and also a doctor. So you'd better listen to what I say, honey."
Louis, who had been told exactly what he had just said to Monica, fell silent and drank his tea without sugar with a sullen face.
It was a rare sight to see the haughty Louis being put in his place, but Monica, engrossed in her pie, was oblivious to the scene.
As a side note, the thought of Nero starving in her bag never crossed her mind at all.
Comments